Manicure appliance



April 13, 1965 E. J. BROWN MANICURE APPLIANCE Filed Aug. 18, 1961 'EI S INVENTOR. ERNEST J. EStZowN ATTOQ N EYS United States Patent 3,1775% MANICURE APPLIANCE Ernest J. Brown, 15145 Dolphin Ave., Detroit, Mich. Filed Aug. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 132,487- 1 Claim. (Cl. 132-762) This invention relates to manicure appliances, and more specifically, to a nail filing and cleaning device.

Among the objects and advantages of this invention is the provision of a finger nail file having a concave filing surface shaped to facilitate filing of the nail to a predetermined, desired curvature, the filing surface being arranged with subjacent supporting means which increase the stability of same in use, and with associated finger guiding means.

Another important object resides in the provision of a filing device of the type above described which has a nail cleaning device on one of its ends, and which is pivotally secured to the aforementioned support such that the cleaning device is placed in an extended location for use.

Yet another object is the provision of means for effectively holding the file element in either selected one of two positions.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a manicure appliance constructed and assembled in accordance with the teachings of this invention, the file element thereof being shown in a retracted first location;

FIGURE 2 is a second perspective view showing the file element in a second, extended location;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, longitudinal cross-section taken substantially on section line 33 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-section along section line 44 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is another horizontal cross-section taken along the section line 5-5 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 6 is a further enlarged longitudinal detail cross-section taken substantially on section line 6--6 of FIGURE 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

With reference to the drawing, the manicure appliance is denoted therein throughout the several Views by general reference numeral 10. Appliance 10 is comprised of a generally rectangular body portion 12 having an upper side 14 and an opposite lower side 16, forward and rear ends 18, 26, respectively, and lateral sides 22, 24. As seen in the drawing, the upper side 14 has a concave depression 25 formed therein in a generally central location.

Longitudinally extending upstanding side flanges 28 are secured, either integrally or otherwise, along the edges of the upper side 14 and conform in general to the shape thereof, that is, the flanges 28 and 30 each have central concave portions formed in their upper sides which conform generally to the depression 26 in the upper side 14, and in addition, the inner surfaces of the flanges are of parabolic formation as at 32, whereby, as seen in FIG- URES 3 and 4, there is provided a guiding surface for the finger, as described in more detail below.

The file element forming a part of this invention is 3,177,878 Patented Apr. 13, 1965 "ice identified by general reference character 34 in the drawing, and is seen to comprise an elongated metallic element 'of rectangular form in plan. The file 34 has a smooth 7 for holding the file in one of its positions. As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 5, the upper side 14 of the body portion 12 has an indentation 52 formed therein adjacent the end 24) which receives the indentation of the spoon 48 thereby to permit the file element to lie flush against the body portion in its retracted position, and to serve in maintaining the same in said position.

The inner end 44 of the file 34 has a pair of laterally projecting ears 54, 56 which are received in transversely aligned bores 58, 69 formed to open on the inner surfaces of the flanges 28 and 30 as best seen in FIGURE 6. The upper side 14 of the body portion 12 has an arcuate groove 62 therein adjacent its forward end 18, and a spring plate 64 at least overlies said groove. Plate 64 has a lip 66 which is pressed into the body portion 14 thereby to fixedly connect the plate to the body portion.

Movement of the file 34 from its extended position shown in full lines in FIGURE 5 to the retracted phantom line position of that figure is accomplished by manually lifting the file, the ears 54, 56 pivot in the bores 58 and 60, and the inner end 44 exerting suflicient pressure to depress the spring plate 64 into the groove 62 and permit pivoting of the file. As the file 34 is swung rearwardly, the plate returns to its normal horizontal location thereby effectively holding the file 34 in said retracted location.

When using the device in performing the filing operation, it is preferable that the file element 34 be positioned in the retracted location seen in FIGURE 3. In FIGURES 3 and 4, it is shown that the parabolic formation of the inner surfaces of the flanges 28 and 30 serves to guide the finger as it is moved in performing the filing operation.

Having described and illustrated a single embodiment of this invention in detail, it is to be understood that this description and illustration are offered merely by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A manicure appliance comprising:

(a) a generally rectangular base portion having a lower side, an upper side, and forward and rear ends;

(b) said upper side having a concave depression therein which is of maximum depth intermediate the ends of the base portion;

(c) lateral flanges on each side of the concave depression, said flanges having outer edges substantially parallel with said depression and being spaced apart a suflicient distance to permit insertion of a finger therebetween;

(d) said flanges including parabolic inner surfaces whereby they provide finger guide means;

(e) a file element pivotally connected to the base portion adjacent one of its ends, said end of said base portion having a groove therein, the file element having a concave-convex configuration with filing teeth on the concave surface and the convex surface lying within said depression in a first retracted position thereof, and being movable therefrom to a second extended position; and

(f) means for maintaining the file element in both its first and second positions, the means comprising a spring plate overlying the groove and biasing one end of the file element.

459,903 10/96 Wenger 13276.2'

870,604 11/07 Willis 132-75.4

4 7/20 Foggie 132-75.6 4/29 Schwartzrnan 132--75.6 6/31 Logan 132-764 1/ 50 Biel 132104 11/52 Langley 30-29 XR 7/58 Herald 132-764 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 10/51 France.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiners. 

